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Stripped & Violated: This Could Be the House Next Door To You

Don't venture further if you have an aversion to evidence of the worst people can do to their

domicile. This isn't pretty and I am only posting it as an example of what happens when

people get desperate. Desperate times make people do desperate, angry things.

This is an example of a bank owned foreclosure that a client asked me to preview. He is

buying his first home and this sounded like a real deal to him. A house built in 2001 in

a nice subdivision south of Grand Rapids, we knew the previous owner had removed some

essential things, like the furnace and water heater. When you drive up to this home, there

is no evidence on the exterior that it is any different than it's neighbors.

NO PICTURES on the listing, so I stopped by yesterday and took a few so he could see if

he would be interested.

bank foreclosure gr mi

Kitchen Cabinets - Gone

All Light Fixtures - Gone

All Interior Doors - Gone

Bathroom #1 & #2 cabinets - Gone

Toilet Stools - Gone

Heat Vent Covers - Gone

Attic Fan - Gone

Bathroom Mirrors - Gone

Furnace - Gone

Water Heater - Gone

Door to Garage - Gone

Believe it or not, this client may still be able to buy

this home. He will have to get a construction loan,

no one will allow a mortgage on a home that can't

pass inspection for occupancy.

No water, no lights and no heat, no mortgage.

If he has the cash to make this possible, it could still work for him. I'll have an update later.

Sadly, the condition of this home and its' saleability will negatively affect all the home prices

around it immediately and into the future.

We all hope someone buys this house and makes it a home again.

If you are considering buying a foreclosure, you might want to read my other articles:

Foreclosures are NOT Fun!! Be prepared to earn your Bargain!

Are Bank Foreclosures Selling Faster than Traditional Listings??

Search Grand Rapids Homes for Sale

Featured Grand Rapids Homes

Greater Grand Rapids Area Information

Copyright by Terry Westbrook 2008 ~ Westbrook Realty

Contact: 1-888-240-1968 x 0 toll free

Website url: Terry Westbrook.com

Email: bonnie@terrywestbrook.com

photos by Terry Westbrook

Posted by Terry Westbrook ~ Westbrook Realty Grand Rapids Forest Hills MI Real Estate on 03/17/2008 07:50 PM

Comments (31)

grand rapids mi real estate, gr mi homes for sale, gr mi foreclosures, gr mi bank owned homes, active rain

Originally posted at: Grand Rapids Michigan Real Estate Blog: Stripped & Violated: This Could Be the House Next Door To You

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31 Comments on Stripped & Violated: This Could Be the House Next Door To You

MAR

2008

That's amazing. I've been in foreclosures before that were dirty and nasty, but not stripped!

MAR

2008

What a sad thing! Great, catchy title.

I cannot imagine how up against the wall these people must have felt, but it would seem that in the long run, they've probably shot themeselves directly in the foot by their action.

There's no situation that cannot be made worse by being an idiot about it.

Eric and Karen:Thanks for stopping by. Yes I can't imagine the stress they were going through to think this is going to be a good thing.

So sad, it really hurts to see someone do this to a really nice house.

Bon: It will be OK the next buyer will make this their home and all will be forgiven.

HI Terry - Was it the former borrower or the clean up company hired by the bank that did the damage? Give me a call if a rehab loan is needed ~ Good luck! The buyer will need another place to live for a while!!!

This makes homes on the market that are not foreclosures a little more attractive I think!

Great photos to describe your frustrations!

Funny no police to stop this either? Who would want to buy in a neighborhood where this type of grand theft can occur, and they have a moving truck outside and no police? Excuse me? Are the police is a coma, shooting up or are they just sleeping from their day jobs in Grand Rapids? I'd have their commander come over! No excuses accepted on this!

Mary: It was the prior owner that did the damage.

Jim: I guessing it was over a period while the redemption period wss going on the prior owner removed all these things. Very sad.

MAR

2008

Terry, WOW, raped and pillaged.

Duane;How would you feel if it happened to you?

Terry,
Unbelievable and sad. I just don't understand this type of behavior no matter what the situation is.

Cynthia:I can only imagine that they blame some one else but we all need to start taking on the responsibility of our decisions. Thanks for stopping by.

MAR

2008

Terry, had some thing similar, but they called it divorce. LOL

Duane: I really don't know the cause but someone was upset or they wouldn't have done this.

Unfortunately I see this happen quite often. They even take the light figtures and outlet plates off the wall. I've even seen toilets gone with quick dry concrete poured over the hole.

I've seen quite a few houses similar to this in Colorado. I always wonder what they do with everything they take out of the house. I showed a bank-owned property last weekend; and all of the light fixtures were gone and all the electrical plates were gone. Is there a market for this stuff, or does it just end up in the trash bin?

Sandra and Kathy: I have a slighlty used kitchen for sale for a quick sale I'll throw in a furnace and hot water heater. I can just see the ad.

In East Ventura a seller had his vacant home for sale and some kids came in a started hanging out after school, drinking beer and taking drugs. There was a dismantled trampoline in the garage and they put it together in the living room and used it to write all over the walls with markers. This went on for several days until a neighbor came by and found out what was going on.

Joe: The only vandals here were the prior owners.

MAR

2008

Terry, this poor house! I can't help but wonder whether it wouldn't be cost effective for the banks to go in and repair the damage and then sell. If this were not a bank-owned property, we would be telling the sellers to clean it up. I'm starting to think that if bank sellers behaved like normal sellers, they'd be netting a whole lot more on these places.

Patricia: I agree but they seem to know more or at least they think they do. I keep thinking if it were their money would they do the things they do everyday from not calling us back and being so resistant to doing what we ask.

I don't think I have ever been to a home that was stripped like that! I am used to most of them lacking refrigerators, ranges, dishwasher and sometimes light fixtures, but WOW! Usually they are also pretty filthy. I think it's sad people allow themselves to live like that.

Tricia:I also have seen people living in dirty home but his is beyond normal.

APR

2008

My first observation is WOW! This situation strikes me as a response of anger, frustration, greed and small mindedness. Was the house plumbed with copper and if so did they strip out the copper as well? I have heard a few stories about this kind of thing but your photos really bring it home in a painfully direct way. We have sold a half dozen repos in the past few months but none had been stripped like this puppy. It is a sad commentary on some in our society. Part of me would like to take a 2 by 4 upside the head of the perpetrator, the other part of me realizes it would be best to say a prayer for these folks and all of the other people who find themselves in such challenging situations. Certainly there more responsible ways to respond than to engage in theft.

Hopefully the buyer won't be approached by someone who has cabinets that will fit perfectly in his new home.

APR

2008

Jeff: It is a sad commentary on the attitudes of some people that are placed in difficult situations and how they react. I wonder if I would do something similar I don't thinks so but under stress we do things that surprise us.

Denise: I would bet the prior owner would not be that brazen but who knows.

MAY

2008

Terry, WOW! What a sad situation. No, they shouldn't have done that, but they were under undue stress, so who knows what you would do in those circumstances. Although, most people do NOT behave like that. I don't think that is the norm.

This is WILD! I see repos trashed and neglected here in Tennessee. I've even had a repo that was a meth house but it was not stripped. We had to strip it though because the meth fumes and residue permeate everything and create real hazards. I've just never seen it stripped beforehand.

Vickie: It is unusual to see this kind of thing here but you are correct they are under a lot of stress but still no excuse.

Rhonda: we see the neglected ones but this home was in nice condition until they took all the insides out of it.

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